The Chesterfield football history resource

Phil Tingay was thrust into the limelight as injury robbed
the club of every experienced 'keeper.
An amateur, he played for the Tube Works' reserve and senior teams days
before his shock call-up for a Chesterfield debut at Bristol Rovers in May,
1972. He conceded a goal within four
minutes, but performed heroics in his second game, in front of 45,000 at a
Villa Park promotion party.

He was rewarded with a professional contract that
summer. Although he spent the next nine
seasons at Saltergate, he could only consider himself the automatic
first-choice for one and a half of those, and was locked in a perennial
selection battle with the likes of Jim Brown, Steve Ogrizovic, Steve Hardwick
and John Turner. That tough competition for the number one jersey is probably
the main reason for the emergence of a string of fine 'keepers through Phil's
years at Chesterfield. His
professionalism and commitment to the club made him a well-liked man among the
fans, eventually, and he received the recognition of his fellow professionals,
too, when he was presented with a PFA loyalty award.

In 1981 Phil returned to his trade as an electrician and
moved into non-League football. He had
managed the Staveley Works and Biwater teams by the time that Ernie Moss
persuaded him to join Gainsborough at the age of 44. Originally joining as Assistant Manager, Phil
played a few times to cover for injuries.
He became assistant manager to Ernie Moss at Leek Town and has appeared
in two Wembley cup finals - for the Sheffield Wednesday Over-35 team. He has also played regularly for Johnny
Quinn's All Stars, a Sheffield-based charity side, and has managed Gainsborough
and Staveley Miners' Welfare.